A Standout Athlete, Student Role Model
Bauer Teaches Leadership in the Classroom and on the Field
Published on April 15, 2008
Ivan Diggs balances schoolwork with his demanding track schedule.
Management information systems senior Ivan Diggs is flying high after his recent successes on the track and in the classroom have proven that the UH C. T. Bauer College of Business is home to superstars in both business and athletics.
Diggs balances his coursework in the Decision and Information Sciences Department at Bauer College with his position as a high jumper on the University of Houston track and field team. Diggs was named the Conference USA Track and Field Male Athlete of the Year after finishing first in the high jump at the C-USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
In the last year, he was also named an NCAA Indoor All-American after a fourth place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships and was C-USA's Male Athlete of the Week for the week of January 15.
"He is the epitome of all that is good in intercollegiate athletics," said DISC professor Richard Scamell. "He is on the short list of the most polite and humble students that I've ever met, and I've been around a while."
"Ivan never misses class, never fails to turn in his work on time and participates actively in class with questions and comments," Scamell added. "He gives 100 percent to what he does on the playing field and in the classroom."
From track, Diggs said, he has cultivated patience and time management skills that have helped him succeed in his classes at Bauer College. "The hardest part about being a student athlete is balancing time and classes," he added. "You have to remember to go to class first. Don't be afraid to tell your coach that you have class or need to work on homework. Coaches actually congratulate that."
Despite his hectic schedule, Diggs has found time to participate in extracurricular activities at Bauer, where he is a member of the Management Information Systems Student Organization.
"The students in MISSO are MIS majors, so we have classes together and are friends. They provide workshops and networking opportunities. I haven't been able to take part in the networking opportunities, yet, but I'm excited about that," Diggs said.
After he graduates in December, Diggs said he hopes to continue competing in spite of a damaged nerve that currently has him sidelined. Diggs is also considering graduate school to further his education.
"I appreciate the education I've received here at Bauer," he added. "Leadership, cooperation and hard work are things I learned in the classes I've taken here, and I've been able to translate that to what I do on the field."
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.
About the Bauer College of Business
The C.T. Bauer College of Business has been in operation for more than 60 years at the University of Houston main campus. Through its five academic departments, the college offers a full-range of undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in business. The Bauer College is fully accredited by the AACSB International - the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In August 2000, Houston business leader and philanthropist Charles T. (Ted) Bauer endowed the College of Business with a $40 million gift. In recognition of his generosity, the college was renamed the C.T. Bauer College of Business.